


(Not) For Long

by LokianaWinchester



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: Angst, But only a bit, Flashback, Fluff, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-25 03:26:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14968109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LokianaWinchester/pseuds/LokianaWinchester
Summary: Set during the battle at the Smithsonian when Jedediah gets freed from the hourglass





	(Not) For Long

“I love you,” Octavius said and it took Jed’s breath away. It was bad timing. It was beyond bad. He was going to die in here, completely unable to do anything about it. The hourglass was slowly filling up again and the pressure around his chest was building with every second. Jed coughed once, twice, trying to stall for time, because this was the worst situation for this to possibly happen in.

“Not for long,” he ground out, sand in his throat making his voice feel scratchy and sore. If he was being honest, now that he was looking at Octavius, he realised he should have acted on his feelings for the man for as soon as he knew about them. Until now he barely dared to admit them even to himself, but he had always felt safe and secure in the knowledge that the other man did not feel the same. It was good, because if he did not, then Jed would never ever have to reveal his own feelings. Or even acknowledge them. It was ridiculous even, why would he fall for such a man? For years, decades they had done nothing but fight, but then one night everything had changed.

* * *

 

Every night the guards would lock the miniatures into boxes. They just simply put boxes over the exhibits, which was outrageous, and sometime Jed started working on the box. It was a solid wooden box and he started to work on getting through it relentlessly until one night he finished sawing a hole into it, that was wide enough to fit his body. It had been a long and tiresome process, but it payed off so well.

The second Jed’s feet touched the frame of their exhibit, looking around the gigantic room that was all his to explore, it all payed out. He fixed his lasso to a protruding nail next to him and let himself down to the floor with it. Jed went looking around from there. It was a long way to the door, but he would make it. Finally he was free and he was going to take his chance. Then he heard a quiet clanking noise behind himself and his head whipped around only to see –

“Octavius.” Jed started walking towards the Roman. How dared he ruin his night?

“Jedediah,” Octavius replied. “Thank you for leaving your rope for me.” A smirk was playing around the corners of his mouth. How Jed despised that smirk.

“It’s a lasso, you stupid roman idiot,” he growled and crossed the last distance between them.

“Watch out who you call an idiot,” Octavius replied.

“I know exactly who –“ He should have seen the punch coming, but he had not. Instead Octavius hit him in the stomach and when Jed wanted to repeat the same back at him, his fist met hard metal and a sharp pain shot up his arm. He landed a blow to Octavius’ cheek though, before the Roman grabbed his wrist.

“Shh.”

“Let me go, you –“ Octavius’ other hand went to his mouth, muffling the rest of his sentence, while he whispered into Jed’s ear.

“The guard is here. If you want to stay out here and not go back into the box forever, I suggest you shut up.” So Jed did. What other option did he have? His wrist still firmly in Octavius’ grip, they made their way over the middle of the wall where the facades of the exhibitions were parted just a few inches, but it was enough for the both of them. Once they were sitting in the darkest corner of their hide-out, Jed tucked his hand free.

“Thanks,” he muttered, looking at his feet. When he looked up, Octavius was smiling at him. It was not the smirk he had worn earlier, but a real genuine smile and that smile was what captured Jed’s heart.

* * *

 

They had gone back to their people eventually. They figured it was not fair if only them escaped, but they sometimes still met up in the late hours of the night. Then Larry came along and their play-fighting faded into a genuine friendship, one that both of them were willing to admit, existed.

And way too soon, somewhere around when they were hanging onto the air outlet of a car tire, working with all their power together, Jed realised he felt more than friendship for Octavius. He was aware there was never going to be more. After all their friendship still was frighteningly hesitant.

Of course he had not realised how wrong he was. Jed hated few things more than being wrong and in this moment he realised he hated being wrong even more when he was about to die. The sand was already standing up to his neck and he closed his eyes for a second because this was just typical.

Only Octavius would confess his love when the object of his affection was about to die. Regret washed over Jed, when he realised what a coward he had been. It was the one thing he had always feared to become. It was dishonourable.

But he was the biggest coward of all, not telling Octavius how he really felt during all their time together. And he regretted it. He thought about what they could have had. About all the moments of silent contemplation he threw away, because he was weak and was afraid of his own emotions.

When he opened his eyes again, Octavius was looking at him from the other side of the glass, eyes wide and full of emotions. It was not at all like the great Roman to look this way and Jed yearned to wipe this expression of vulnerability and near heartbreak off his face. It was not what he had imagined the last thing he would ever see to look like.

But then Octavius took off his helmet and Jed fell even more in love, which he would never have thought possible. The man was simply beautiful. Maybe Jed was biased on that because of his feelings for him, but in that moment he would have struggled to name something more beautiful. Then Octavius cracked the glass with his helmet and when Jed tumbled to the ground all covered in sand and looked up, he saw the look of pure joy and adoration in the Roman’s eyes and knew that was it. The thing that was more beautiful.

Octavius kneeled down next to him, gently putting a hand on his shoulder, then as Jed began to sit up and pulled Octavius close, he wrapped his arms around him.

“So ya love me?” It should have sounded sassy, funny, but it came out insecure and weak. Jed mentally cursed at himself.

Octavius pulled back ever so slightly, loosening his grip around Jed’s shoulders to cup his cheek as he leaned in.

Jed was pretty sure there was sand all over his face, but he cared less with every passing second. Octavius was kissing him, his chapped lips warm against Jed’s own, the hand on his cheek slowly moving to the back of his head, fingers threading through his hair.

They pulled apart after a moment.

“So ya love me?” Octavius repeated back at him in the worst accent Jed had ever heard. A smile covered his face and Jed grinned at him.

“I sure do.” The enthusiastic hug he received in return, sent laughter spilling over his lips and he realised with a start that with this laughter the tension he had held from years of repressed feelings was gone. He buried his face in Octavius’ neck.

“And I plan to do so for long. If only to prove you wrong, Jedediah”

It was a promise and when Octavius passed Jed his own sword and they commenced to viciously attack toes and ankles in perfect unison, Jed knew it was going to be kept by both of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it. feel free to leave kudos/comments! :)


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